EXCERPT: “A majority of Americans are renting on the cheap — at least, compared to what they’d be paying if they bought a home. Most Americans (64%) live in a county where renting takes up a smaller portion of one’s paycheck than buying, according to a report released Thursday by real estate data firm Attom Data Solutions. And yet in more than half (54%) of housing markets — 240 of 447 U.S. counties — buying a median-price home is actually more affordable than renting a three-bedroom property.” FULLSTORY: http://on.mktw.net/2DqJTEX

EXCERPT: “The average multifamily rent in the U.S. stood at $1,359 in December. The figure did not change from November but represented a year-over-year increase of 2.5%, according to a survey of 121 markets by Yardi® Matrix . . .Year-over-year rent growth leaders in December were Sacramento, Calif., Las Vegas, Orlando, Fla., California’s Inland Empire and the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro in Minnesota.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2CMZOfJ

EXCERPT: “Seasonal factors and an extended deceleration in national rent levels combined to reduce U.S. rents by $4 in October, according to a survey of 121 markets by Yardi Matrix. The drop to $1,358, coming at the beginning of the last quarter when rent growth slows due to seasonal factors, was no surprise. Moreover, the multifamily sector is still decelerating from cycle highs in 2016. ‘Nationally, rents are only $5 off their all-time peak set in August and are $30 above their level a year ago,’ the report states. . . .Year-over-year rent growth leaders in October were Sacramento, Calif.; Las Vegas; Orlando, Fla.; California’s Inland Empire; and the Twin Cities metro in Minnesota.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2iWmykX

EXCERPT: “The housing market continues to see increasing prices in many US cities but homes are still relatively affordable. Black Knight Financial’s September Mortgage Monitor shows that nationally it requires 21.4% of median income to purchase the median-priced home. That compares to the 24.2% required between 1995-1999 and the 26.2% needed from 2000-2003.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2yJ72DG

EXCERPT: “Where you live is a significant predictor of health, and unstable housing is associated with a range of health complications, including asthma, depression, and exposure to lead and other toxic elements. Not only is unstable housing deepening these health disparities among vulnerable communities, it is draining dollars from the U.S. health care system. Five percent of hospital users are responsible for half of health care costs in the U.S., and most of these patients live below the poverty line and are housing insecure. By investing in housing, hospitals can help build healthier communities and save money by stemming the tide of emergency room visits and costly health interventions, argues Dr. Megan Sandel, a Boston Medical Center (BMC) pediatrician and principal investigator at Children’s Health Watch, in JAMA Viewpoint.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2iSiwgT

EXCERPT: “Look at a map of where landlords file paperwork to evict renters from their homes in Minneapolis and you might notice something striking: These legal actions happen almost like clockwork in north Minneapolis, and pretty rarely just a few miles away in southwest Minneapolis. Evictions are a problem in the Twin Cities and across the country as housing becomes less affordable for low-income families. And they exacerbate existing inequalities by hitting some of the most disadvantaged populations the hardest. But just how eviction affects families can be difficult to track, since people who are displaced from their homes often don’t think of themselves as evicted, and because court records lack the specificity to tell the whole story.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2gIPAXS

EXCERPT: “Amazon said Monday that 238 cities and regions within the U.S., as well as Canada and Mexico, have submitted proposals to become the online retailer’s second headquarters. Many experts believe Minnesota’s chances of securing the campus are slim, which may be positive news to some locals, particularly those concerned about the Twin Cities housing market . . . One early analysis, conducted by apartment listing aggregator Apartment List, suggests the price increase for Minneapolis renters could be an additional 1 percent annually, amounting to $8,700 in extra rent costs over a 10-year span. Of the 15 cities analyzed by Apartment List, Minneapolis landed in the middle.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2gFmrgs

EXCERPT: “The number of apartments deemed affordable for very low-income families across the United States fell by more than 60 percent between 2010 and 2016, according to a new report by Freddie Mac. The report by the government-backed mortgage financier is the first to compare rent increases in specific units over time. It examined loans that the corporation had financed twice between 2010 and 2016, allowing a comparison of the exact same rental units and how their affordability changed. At first financing, 11 percent of nearly 100,000 rental units nationwide were deemed affordable for very low-income households. By the second financing, when the units were refinanced or sold, rents had increased so much that just 4 percent of the same units were categorized as affordable.” FULLSTORY: http://wapo.st/2yDvNQP

EXCERPT: “After median home prices hit a record high this summer in the Twin Cities, sales activity started to slow last month, according to data released Monday by the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors (MAAR). Entry-level homes, which often spend little time on the market and sell at a high price, instead experienced a loss in closed sales in September. The change was a sharp departure from interest the category had received all year from prospective homebuyers.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2ySyjmR

EXCERPT: “Rent-control policies are a cause célèbre advocated by progressive politicians such as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.K. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. But evidence shows that getting rid of these rules causes a reduction in crime. The sudden end of rent control in Cambridge, Mass., in 1995 resulted in a 16% decrease in overall crime through the year 2000, according to a new working paper by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That equates to roughly 1,200 fewer crimes a year.” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2g8xf2w